So...I wonder how many of these were being used in DC the other day?
Not by design, but I happened to have my Yaesu HT tuned into 146.520 while I was working (was listening for a guy who was going to do a SOTA activation). I had a few signals break squelch, but couldn't really make out much. Being indoors and 35 miles from DC, I wouldn't expect to hear anything, but there was more QRM than normal it seemed. I didn't really connect the two until just now though.
Chris
Banning them now, with so many out there already, is kind of silly, and they will be available forever, "someplace" like CB linear amps. I bought mine early on, one of the 7W ones, and it puts out six watts in the real world and makes a decent hand warmer if you do use it on high power. It was $20, including all the accessories, tax "included". The seller, at a train or computer show, I don't remember which, had hundreds of them, and had hundreds more at the hamfest I saw him at a couple years later. Mine worked and works well, it's loud and clear receive, but was muffled on transmit, but still loud, until I modified the microphone. The speaker mike that came with it was a joke, I used an Icom one, I think, from an old HT that passed on years ago. The only issue it's ever had is the "Baofeng" label started to come loose day one. For $20, who cared? I've used it a couple of times to talk to friends when at events where one guy didn't bring a cellphone, but did bring his HT, an Alinco one that was worse in every way than the Baofeng was. A friend of mine bought 5 of the red ones and gives them out to his grandkids when they go to the zoo, etc. They work great for that, and if one of them breaks, well, who cares?
But if the FCC seriously cared about these, they would have banned them day one.
Now these are $30.
Also, the FcC and CNN think these are scary.
http://lite.cnn.com/en/article/h_b02...f98bd3b2cb707d
The US government is warning that groups could rely on radio equipment as an alternative to social media to plan future criminal activities.
In a stark warning Sunday, the Federal Communications Commission's enforcement bureau said people coordinating or conducting criminal activity over radio waves are breaking the law.
"The Bureau has become aware of discussions on social media platforms suggesting that certain radio services regulated by the Commission may be an alternative to social media platforms for groups to communicate and coordinate future activities," the FCC said in its warning Sunday. "Individuals using radios in the Amateur or Personal Radio Services in this manner may be subject to severe penalties, including significant fines, seizure of the offending equipment, and, in some cases, criminal prosecution."
The FCC licenses certain signals for people to broadcast over radio waves. Those messages are generally protected by the US Constitution's First Amendment. But the FCC reminded radio licensees and operators that it is prohibited to transmit "communications intended to facilitate a criminal act." People are also not allowed to encode their messages to obscure their meaning from law enforcement.
The laws governing airwaves apply to amateurs broadcasting with personal ham radios, which can reach long distances. But they also apply to people using Citizens Band (CB) radios commonly used for communication between truckers -- or even walkie-talkies.
In the wake of the January 6 Capitol riots, Facebook, Twitter and other mainstream social networks have become more vigilant about policing people who use their platforms to plan or incite attacks. They have booted off several high-profile radicals and thousands of groups and users who the platforms say engage in harmful conspiracy theories and other violence or hate speech.
Similarly, Amazon, Apple and Google effectively took Parler off the internet. Parler, the alternative social network popular with conservatives, had been surging in popularity in recent months. But the platform failed to rein in hate-filled, violent speech, Big Tech companies allege. Amazon, Apple and Google said that unmoderated speech could lead to another violent attack.
#RESIST
Actually, what the FCC is saying has been law for decades (prob going back to the beginnings of the amateur radio service). Encryption of transmitted signals on the amateur bands has never been legal. Using those bands without a license has always been illegal (there's a lot of nuance to that statement, but the basic gist is correct). The key phrases are "encryption" and "illegal activities". It is, and always has been, illegal to use amateur radio in combination with those activities.Originally Posted by LittleLebowski
The reason it's getting attention right now is because everyone has been stocking up with the Baofengs and using them in an unlicensed capacity in the midst of all of the riots and demonstrations (on both sides of the political spectrum).
Chris
The new Baofeng UV-S9 Plus is out for $51. Supposedly improved, of course I still don't know a damn thing about ham stuff.
#RESIST
Looks like MirKit is making an IP67 (1M waterproof) version for $78... LINKY
I don't know anything about MirKit or their relationship with Baofeng... Quick google seems legit, but, caveat emptor and stuff.
"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." - Thomas Jefferson, Virginia Constitution, Draft 1, 1776
8 watts in a handheld, if it's even an honest 8 watts (that appears to be debatable) will do no good going into the rubber duck antenna on most handhelds. But, because Baofengs' front ends are so poorly filtered, if you connected it to a better antenna, it would go deaf as a post as the receiver is overloaded.
A *good* 5w handheld with a high gain antenna (especially an external one up high) will talk further than a poor radio with more power.
It's a real problem here in NoVA with all the RF noise we have.
Chris
I don't believe it's the analog Baof's everybody is buying.
It's the encrypted DMR and unsigned HF digi mode traffic... Radioddity, Baofeng, Ailunce, Motorola, SignaLink, etc. But most of the affordable DMR stuff is not heavy duty encryption...
It's countered by IQ recording and RDF, with some serious assets for those big fish making big splashes in TPTB' pond.
"Et tu, Norteamericano?"
-Pablo Escobar
Sent from my VS835 using Tapatalk
Okay- would any of the stuff mentioned in the previous 6-9 posts help me communicate with my wife from 30-40 mi away if cell towers are down/overloaded?
If that’s the case, 2 x $35 or so is well worth the investment and some time spent training with them.
If not, is there another option for say, under $100 for two units that would get me that goal or better?
Ham radio club or even GMRS repeaters can do that for two people with all-in $100 of handheld radio+mobile mount antenna. Works as long as repeater has power and few other repeater users are in the same situation you are. I imagine in the case of area cellular comm outage a repeater would get busy and maybe even temporarily dedicated to an emergency radio net operation.
For direct person to person? No, not in a standalone package for $100/pair. Unless you add a 0 to the end of your total for each end. And it's not 100% guaranteed.
For around $300 on each end you can get maybe half that range in reasonable terrain. All bets off in hilly, forested areas unless one station is at terrain dominating height.
Edit: can't type
Reply With Quote